


Can I Touch the Sky? | Wings of Fire

by projectibris



Category: Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Genre: Ace character, Awkward Flirting, Bisexual Character, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gay Character, Hurt/Comfort, Jade Mountain Academy (Wings of Fire), Lesbian Character, Pining, Recovery, Romance, Secret Crush, Slow Burn, Trans Character, Trauma, Yearning, the dragons are gay and trans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:42:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24618535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/projectibris/pseuds/projectibris
Summary: Tsunami has had a crush on Peril for years, but what can she do if it's also been years since two have spent time together? When the SkyWing shows up at Jade Mountain hoping to reconnect with the Dragonets of Destiny, Tsunami must decide if she is willing to open her heart, or if she will miss her chance...(Continuation of my previous fic, "Angel of Fire".)
Relationships: Fatespeaker/Sunny (Wings of Fire), Glory/Greatness (Wings of Fire), Tsunami/Peril (Wings of Fire)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	1. Prologue

* * *

~ Prologue ~

"Do all of you leafy green _things_ just _have_ to grow _EVERYWHERE?"_ Peril growled, as she torched the cave ahead with blue flame. When the light began to die out, the blackened enclave was free of shrubbery. She would've burnt it by accident anyway. It was just better to get to the punch and do it ahead of time. 

A small fire now burned in the leftmost wall, where a bush was growing. In a way, it was like a campfire, and in that way, it was sort of comforting. It would make a cute little nightlight, she supposed, if it wasn't so likely to attract attention. 

It was night on the beach below Jade Mountain. Peril had decided she would spend the night here before moving on elsewhere. Or maybe a couple nights. It didn't really matter anymore. Certainly, she wanted to be close to Clay and his friends, but maybe she didn't need to be within spitting distance at all times. Just a thought. And a thought she had been considering painfully hard for a while.

She could be a vagabond perhaps. She could roam, and not really _have_ one home. Oh, but it hurt her so much to think of not having a home. The Sky Palace was once her home, but nobody loved her there. 

Was that what a home was? A place where you were loved? Then, really, Peril would probably never have a home. So, in any case, being a vagabond might have been the best bet. 

She settled in the cave, letting the fire burn beside her as she faced the entrance and looked out. She would put out the fire as soon as she was falling asleep. Or perhaps she would fall asleep when the fire died out. Either way…

A splash disturbed the water on the shore outside, and Peril looked to see a pair of SeaWings emerge from the water. At once, Peril batted out the flame - or more accurately, forced it to burn faster by touching it. 

She crept forward, and watched their scales light up in patterns that she couldn't understand. First one spoke, and then the other, and just as quickly as the pair had arrived, one returned to the water. _Who is this? A spy?_ She wondered, deciding that was a good sign to start being scary.

She flared her huge wings and descended downwards. The SeaWing noticed her before she let out a fiery roar. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS CLOSE TO JADE MOUNTAIN?" 

The SeaWing batted her wings and lit them, throwing her claws up in brace. "PERIL, IT'S ME!" she screamed.

_"Tsunami?"_ Peril forced her wings open to slow her flight, stopping a short length away from the dragoness and touching ground. "I thought maybe you were a spy -" 

"You could've killed me! Maybe ask first before you dive with your claws out!" Tsunami clutched her chest. "You nearly gave me a heart attack, three moons…" 

That was good advice actually. Peril frowned, curling her wings in tight. She opened her mouth to say "sorry" when the SeaWing from before rose from the waves with a splash. He charged forward, a spear in talon, and Tsunami dove in front of him and tackled him hard to the ground. 

"Don't touch her!" she snapped, grabbing his spear and throwing it to the water. 

The other SeaWing (a guard, perhaps?) panted, looking at Peril suspiciously as Tsunami let him up. Claws clenching in the sand, he lit up his patterns in a way that seemed like he hoped it was discreet. 

Tsunami flickered back with a ferocity that made it clear she was upset, even in her silent language. Waving her talon, the guard was dismissed. He slid back into the water begrudgingly as Tsunami turned back to Peril.

The pair were silent for a moment. "What did he say?" Peril asked, smoke whisking through the air as she spoke. 

Tsunami watched the smoke briefly as it danced lightly on her nose. "He asked if everything was okay. I said, _yes I'm okay, you guppy,"_ She described, lighting up her scales in turn. "And then I told him to take off. Can't believe my mom had him follow me all the way from the Sea Kingdom."

Peril flicked her ear. "So he was pretty bad, then." It must have been nice to have a guard following you around. Although, Tsunami wasn't exactly the type to need protecting.

"He was the worst," Tsunami replied. She side-stepped to a tide pool nearby, poking the water. Below the surface, a squid darted to its cavern for safety. "The whole time it was _princess, be careful,_ and _princess, we should head back to the palace -_ it was exhausting." 

Peril had half a mind to ask Tsunami why she had left the palace to begin with. However, she worried it would be creepy of her to ask. Maybe she could talk about the aquatic thing instead? "I wish I had your scales," she said, tapping her chin before waving her claws quickly. "I mean, I wish I could have that ability. I can't speak Aquatic. It must be pretty great to do, if you're like, on a mission to kill someone or something - I wouldn't want it for that reason, but…" 

Why was she so bad at not sounding weird? 

Tsunami just squinted, a smile curling one side of her face as she rolled her eyes. "Sure you can!"

"Sure I can, what?" Peril asked, tail whipping behind her. 

"Speak Aquatic." Tsunami said this in a way that was joking. "Your scales light up a little when you're really mad…Okay, that's a joke." She added, after noticing that Peril was staring at her. "But you can learn to read it."

Learning Aquatic did sound useful. Except, what would she use it for? She didn't talk to a lot of SeaWings - just Turtle and Tsunami. However, her mind backpedaled through everything the other dragon had said. "My scales light up?" 

Tsunami nodded. "Your underwings and between the ridges on your back," she said, before looking away quickly. 

That certainly was easy for her to list off, Peril considered. Confusion coiled in her chest like a snake. "I didn't know that. I guess I could try making it happen…" 

Taking her eyes off of the tide pool, Tsunami watched curiously. "Sure." 

"Okay...think blazing thoughts." Peril muttered to herself. Fire licked at her thoughts, enveloping each image and word. She thought of the scent of smoke, and the tickle of scorching flames against her scales. Peril also did her best to avoid bumping into those thoughts of killing with her touch, but...perhaps the visual of burning her enemies alive _helped a little_. 

Her skin warmed and the air in her throat felt hot. Was it working? Were her scales glowing? She screwed her eyes tight and held her breath.

Tsunami burst out laughing, doubling over in hilarity. "You look like you're trying to blow up like a puffer fish!" She choked out, wiping tears from her eyes. 

Peril opened her eyes and let out her breath with a frown at Tsunami. Glancing at her wings, she could see the veins lighting up just slightly. It was likely fading away now that the SeaWing had interrupted her. "You distracted me!" She said, stamping her foot.

Tsunami chuckled, cocking her head. "Did I?" She asked. Her gills flared as she looked between the sand and Peril. "Sorry…at least it still worked." 

The gentle breeze pushed sand into Peril's talons. She had been told that sand was cool, especially at night. However, it all felt the same beneath her claws. "It kind of did," she sighed. 

She looked as Tsunami played with the shells in the tide pool, stripes lighting up in sequence. For one, it was nice to see the SeaWing look so comfortable around her. She really was brave, but that was clear to anyone who knew Tsunami. On the second talon, however, she was speaking aquatic again, and a certain pattern was flashed once, almost hesitantly. 

_I really do need to learn,_ Peril thought as she opened her mouth to speak. "What are you saying now?" Wait, was Tsunami just trying to annoy her? Speak a language Peril couldn't understand, so that she would want to leave?

Tsunami flinched, reverting to a different sequence. "It's all insults," she said flatly.

Peril's brows furrowed. "If you want me to leave, you can just say it." The SkyWing knew Tsunami didn't like her much. But why was she sticking around? There was no reason for her to want to be here. Here with Peril...

Was Tsunami just bored? _I refuse to just be anyone's entertainment. Not again._

"They're not about _you_ ," Tsunami replied quickly. "I don't know very many, I'm just practicing." She turned away indignantly. "I don't mind you being here, it's fine." 

Peril sat down, curling her tail over her talons. Tsunami could've been being genuine. She wasn't sure. "Really?" 

Tsunami raised a brow, and looked at Peril. "Yeah," She shrugged. That wasn't very easy to believe, considering the noncommittal way she spoke. "...I want to swim." Tsunami spoke slowly, getting to her feet. That was believable. 

Peril envied the grace with which SeaWings flew through the water. With her enormous SkyWing wings, swimming looked like it would be a little more difficult for her. Plus, she had never learned how to. "Okay?" She responded. 

Not that she wanted Tsunami to stay...well, maybe she did a little, Peril liked company that wouldn't throw things at her - but she expected their interaction would likely end this way. _I'll spend a few more minutes on the beach, I guess,_

Tsunami approached the water, the tides lapping at her talons. Peril watched her for a moment, before looking up at the night sky. However, the other dragoness' voice called her attention once again. "You know what this means?" Tsunami asked, lighting up her scales as she looked over her shoulder.

Peril shook her head. "You know I don't," she replied, half disgruntled and half curious.

Tsunami repeated it again. " _Will you swim with me?_ "

Peril felt that confusion clutch her chest again. Was this a test? Why did she care if it was or wasn't? "That must be useful. As a SeaWing, I mean." She decided on saying, and Tsunami looked puzzled.

"No - well, yes, it is. But I'm actually asking you." 

Peril blinked. Tsunami was asking her to swim with her? There was no other way to interpret that, right? Clay hadn't ever asked something like that. _Don't be ridiculous,_ she thought. Maybe it was a trick. 

Too much time must've passed with no response, because Tsunami started to look flustered. "You don't have to, I was just asking." 

Peril swallowed. "No, I just…haven't swam in the ocean before, so -" she tapped at the sand. Swimming did sound pretty fun, though. And if there was anyone to teach her, Tsunami might be the dragon. "Is it hard?"

Tsunami flapped her wings. "Not harder than flying! Come on, don't be a slug." She seemed much more elated, powerful tail swaying behind her. _Well, SeaWings love the sea._ That was just a truth of life.

The salty air greeted Peril as she got closer, standing in the tide's reach. Water rushed her talons, flowing between her claws before retreating back to the ocean. The drops that remained on her sizzled until they evaporated completely. If Peril stepped in, would the entire ocean dry up? That would really make Tsunami hate her.

However, Tsunami didn't seem to be worried. She smiled at Peril, before running and diving into the water with a splash. Though she had disappeared into the waves, it wasn't long before she breached the surface again, hoisting herself up onto a rock. 

"What are you waiting for?" She asked, beaming toothily and shaking out her horns and ears. 

Peril padded anxiously, shooting a smile at Tsunami. It was a little nerve wracking. As if being fully submerged would extinguish her completely, however unrealistic that was. But that was okay! She didn't have to go all the way underwater yet. 

Gingerly, she stepped in. The water around her legs hissed and steamed for a moment after each step, but with each wave, the water calmed. She let her tail poke into the blue, and then her wings. At first, it creeped along her body, and that instinct of feeling vulnerable in the water set it. Being dangerous and fiery was her thing...kind of. Not so much anymore. And being in water meant she could be touched, so it wasn't all bad. Not to mention the fact that this ocean water just felt sort of different compared to the river water she'd been in before.

"How is it?" Tsunami's voice came from further out. She was floating, the glimmer of her scales reflecting on the surface of the water. Like a bird catching a draft in the air, she dived and came closer, eyeing the water around Peril's talons.

"It feels good," Peril chirped, happiness allowing a little giggle in her voice as a fish came close to her talon before bolting away. What a stupid little fish...

Tsunami giggled back. Her eyes went between Peril's claws and her own. "Come farther out!" She said, floating out of the way weightlessly.

Peril's scales crept with excitement. Would Scarlet have ever allowed her to do something like this? Her scales had been washed plenty of times before, during her time as Scarlet's champion, and she had dipped her talons into the small watery moat around her room (which, of course, caused it to boil). Taking a swim in the ocean was something completely different. 

At least this water was warm enough, Peril thought as she stepped farther out. When she was looking for Scarlet, she had done her best to check the outskirts of the Ice Kingdom. Every so often, she needed a drink from the artic water., However the cold seeped into her bones, and it felt like it was enough to stop her heart if she stayed for too long. 

She felt the ground declined away beneath her talons, and was surprised to notice how easily she floated in the water. She arched her neck to look below her, seeing occasional bubbles rise from the surface of her skin. What if ocean water was different? It was significantly warmer than the waterfalls and creeks she'd been in, so there was definitely the potential that she wasn't exactly cooled off.

"Wow, you're floating like a leaf! It took me much longer to figure out how to do that," Tsunami said. Peril couldn't tell if she was impressed or jealous. 

"Why is that?" The SkyWing asked, padding at the water and waving her wings to stay afloat. 

"Probably because SkyWing bones are more hollow," Tsunami said informatively. "It's what makes you all the best flyers. SeaWings are usually the same way, but I think my body is a bit more dense from spending my first 6 years of life out of the water." 

Peril raised a brow. "That's interesting." So maybe she'd be a better swimmer than she thought? She oriented her body so she could float, almost touching the ground with her back feet. "You probably learned that from teaching the dragonets." 

Tsunami nodded, swaying her talons and wings to glide closer. She looked up at the sky, and Peril did too. The stars glittered bright, as if they were trying to outdo the moons. It was a little obnoxious, in a way, knowing the sky was always so beautiful, never considering the world and what was happening below it. The stars didn't stop shining during the war, or during Darkstalker's reign. So self absorbed, the stars. But that didn't make them less eye-catching. 

Tsunami looked back down, her eyes landing on Peril. "Do you wanna try something?" 

Peril tipped her head. "Like what?" 

Tsunami reached out in the water, and Peril noticed that their claws had been hovering dangerously close together for a few minutes now. The SkyWing shuddered, flinching to move away, because Peril knew what the SeaWing was doing was so incredibly risky. But nonetheless, Tsunami had grabbed her talon gently. " _Likeee_ this." 

Peril's body tensed, and she waited for Tsunami to pull away in searing pain. However, that moment came and went. And so did another. She blinked in astonishment, allowing her forepaw to grasp Tsunami's. "I'm not burning you?"

Maybe it was stupid to anticipate such a thing. In fact, maybe it PROBABLY was stupid. But Peril couldn't help but argue with herself about how uncalculated that move was on Tsunami's part. It had to have been, anyway. Right?

That was when Tsunami flinched, hiding the lower half of her face in the water for a moment. "No, you're not." She almost seemed as surprised as Peril felt. "You're warm, but I'm not melting," she laughed.

Peril laughed as well, a smokey breath escaping her jaws. She could feel that flame that scorched her mind begin to cool, just slightly. How strange for Tsunami to do this. Especially when she hated Peril. When _almost everyone_ hated Peril. Who would want to bring her to the water and hold her talon? Apparently, the answer was Tsunami. 

The irrationality of it tumbled in her head, but she was here now, wasn't she? She always did long for gestures like this. Did Peril dare reach out with her wings or tail to brush against Tsunami any more? _No...no one wants a murder monster,_ her mind replied convincingly. So instead, she brought her second talon up to where Tsunami was holding hers. Her ears warmed and smoked as the SeaWing ran the topside of her claws across Peril's arm and took her talons in hers with both paws.

Tsunami's eyes narrowed suddenly. "Can you hold your breath?" 

Peril paused, but nodded, taking in a huge breath. She barely had time to ask herself what Tsunami was planning, before the dragoness pulled her underwater with her. The steam caused by this wrapped around them both, making it impossible to see in the already deep blue water. If Tsunami thought this was a good attempt to drown her, she would be sorely mistaken. Peril was already planning her escape, if need be.

_Don't be paranoid! Clay trusts her,_ a part of her said, the other part figuring how the SeaWing's gills would be the easiest target.

However, she could still feel the other dragon in front of her. She curled her tail around Tsunami's for balance, and gripped her talons tighter. Then, with a subtle change, like the sun rising, Tsunami's scales glowed bright. She was smiling, the spots below her eyes lighting up especially. 

She released one of her talons and raised a brow. A point at Peril, and a flicker of the spots on her chest asked, " _You okay?"._

Peril nodded again, recognizing this pattern from earlier, and Tsunami smirked. She would run out of air eventually, and she would need to surface, but she was okay right now. 

And...her tail was entwined with Tsunami's. Their wingtips danced around each other in the water. Peril was achingly aware of all of it. Certainly, Tsunami was too. But if that was true, why wasn't Tsunami pulling away? Even Clay pulled away after a few moments - moments that made Peril's heart cry out and burn. 

Tentatively, she reached out to touch Tsunami's face. Her scales felt different from Clay's, because they were a little smoother. Tsunami scanned Peril thoughtfully, but laughed as well as one _could_ underwater, as the SkyWing touched the fins on her neck. They were firmer than Peril thought they'd be.

To her surprise, Tsunami cupped Peril's face gently in her talons. The warmth that came over her face as she did shocked Peril to her core, like striking a match in her heart. She waited for Tsunami to pull away, because everyone did eventually. Like the way Scarlet snapped her claws away when giving Peril a treat, before she could burn her. Or how Clay was always in a rush to get somewhere else whenever they embraced, because it clearly did not mean so much to him.

But each second felt like an eternity. Was that Tsunami's heartbeat she could feel, or her own? Or were those two things kind of the same now? She imagined the ocean was kind of a magical place, if those places existed, where things didn't make sense. Being here with Tsunami only proved that true. 

Tsunami's talons slid to Peril's shoulders. There was a look on her face, as if she was considering something with great reserve. Peril would've cocked her head inquisitively, but she could feel her head getting light. Her lungs were beginning to burn, as if clawing her from the inside out. 

Tsunami must've seen the look on her face, and flared her wings, helping her to the surface. The two breached with a gasp, and already, Peril could feel the heat pour over her head. The fire in her blood rushed through her entire body, warming and drying her. 

She was pushed to the shore, and crawled up onto the sand, feeling suddenly exhausted. Tsunami looked as though she felt the same way, unable to look Peril in the eyes. Peril's gaze flicked about, as she realized. _For the first time in my life, I pulled away first._

The radiant light of the full moon bathed them, as her eyes fell on Tsunami. The SeaWing sighed, rubbing her talons together. "I, um...have to get back to Jade Mountain." Her voice was weaker than usual, but the awkward smile she hid confused Peril even more. 

Of course Tsunami had to go. Peril had to go too. Well, to bed, anyway. It was getting late. "I'll be seeing you," Peril tried nonchalantly, but realized that sounded kind of strange. "Not in a weird, stalker way, I just mean...it's an expression, I think." 

"It is." Tsunami murmured. Her eyes finally landed on Peril's. There was something in them that Peril couldn't exactly recognize. It was a bit like the affection in Clay that was always on his face, whether he was looking at his friends or his students. Except it was something more. 

The pair waved goodbye, and Peril sat as Tsunami winged away. She circled the beach once, gaining speed, before flapping towards the peaks of Jade Mountain.


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

Chapter 1

A cool breeze drifted through the caverns that summer morning. If there was one thing Tsunami liked about  _ this  _ cave compared to the other ones in her life, it was the fresh air and sunlight. When Sunny decided on the place to start her school, Tsunami was almost certain that she'd had that in mind. 

Sunny had decided it was much too nice out to continue school in the mountain that day, so classes were cancelled for the rest of the evening. However, desperate for something to be doing, Tsunami found herself sorting the students' letters and paperwork in the heads' dining room. With a grumble, she fumbled through the parchments. So many of the dragonets had nearly unintelligible clawwriting, but of course, Tsunami knew what it was like to find literature classes difficult, and couldn't find it in herself to complain. 

"Tsunami? There's a message for you at the cave mouth," Sunny's voice broke through the stuffy air. With a turn of her head, Tsunami could see the dragoness' expression and tail curling behind her. Her golden scales shimmered in the light of the hallway, and her wings twitched with apparent anticipation. Why did she look so excited?

"...Just tell them to leave it with you, I'll get to it later." Tsunami replied, stuffing her head back into the letters and adjusting the reading glasses on her face. She could've been mistaken for Starflight with all these scrolls and parchments around. Except for that Starflight would never let them become such a mess. She paused, realizing she could still feel Sunny lingering in the entrance. "... _ Professor?" _

"I just think you would prefer to take this one yourself," Sunny blurted out. With a bounce in her step, she grabbed Tsunami's talon and pulled her out to the tunnel.

Tsunami rolled her eyes and followed the smaller dragoness. She could only imagine what Sunny had in store for her now. What if it was a message from the Sea Kingdom? What if they sent word requiring her return? Sunny didn't seem like the type to get excited about meeting royal guards though, especially knowing the reason why Tsunami had fled to the Jade Mountain this time of year to begin with. 

As the pair turned and looked out over the drop off, the cliff platform bared the presence of a fire-red SkyWing, with glowing scales and a scorching warmth. 

_ Peril… _ Tsunami froze, her lights flaring gently in surprise. Memories flooded back as she looked on; sneaking through the Sky Palace, Clay and Sunny's lives being saved, her little brother being protected - all leading up to the last time the pair had seen each other. Tsunami didn't allow herself to dwell on that thought for long, and was glad that Peril wasn't one of those mind-reading NightWings. 

To her left, Sunny beamed. "Look who's here to visit!" 

Peril looked down at her claws. "I know you're busy...I would've left a note, but you know," she murmured, "I'm not so good with those." 

Tsunami blinked. "Oh!" She exclaimed after a moment. She folded in her wings and nodded her head lightly. A situation like this might normally call for a hug, wouldn't it? She chuckled, deciding that might not be such a good idea. "It's good to see you again."

"It's been a while," Peril continued, smiling.

_ Almost two years, _ Tsunami thought. Her mind raced with all the possible reasons the SkyWing had decided to visit, and she decided Peril was probably looking for a certain MudWing. "Um, Clay isn't here today. He and Starflight are taking a field trip to the Mud Kingdom with some students." When Peril was silent, Tsunami finished with, "I figure you're looking for him." 

Peril shrugged, her enormous wings shuddering slightly. "Oh, I wasn't looking for him specifically." Her voice seemed weird. As if she were possessed by a dragon with significantly less intensity. Not that Tsunami didn't like it, but she guessed a lot could change about a dragon in two years. 

As she stood there, slightly bigger, donning gold rimmed seeing glasses with her claws stained in chalk and ink, Tsunami probably seemed pretty different too.

"I-I just wanted to see everyone…I don't want to disrupt class or anything though," Peril looked about, probably expecting a hoard of students to come bustling through the halls any moment.

Sunny piped up, "Oh, classes were cancelled for the rest of the day! It's much too nice out, I decided." The SandWing fumbled with some keys around her neck. "Why don't you come in? There's probably a few students still walking the grounds, so keep your eyes out, but we'd love to have you. You probably flew a long ways." 

Tsunami felt an excited sort of flutter under her skin, much like the kind someone might feel in anticipation of a battle. She guessed that made sense considering who she was standing in front of, and who's blue eyes she was avoiding looking into. Nevertheless, the feeling was increased ten-fold when Peril accepted with a grateful bow of her head. She stepped aside to let Peril pass, holding back a grumble. 

All through the mountain, windows were opened and that sunlight was carried through the whole campus. From outside, students could be heard playing playing some mid-flight catch game. The library was full of students, probably speaking a little louder than usual amongst themselves, but their tones still hushed and respectful. Fatespeaker could be seen at the librarians desk, taking a nap at her chair. 

As they walked, Sunny and Peril caught each other up on things that Tsunami couldn't get her mind to pay attention to. Instead, her head jumped with garbled anticipation and fleeting flickers of happiness and frustration. 

"This place has gotten even more beautiful," Peril said, craning her neck as she tried to see everything they passed. Tsunami and Sunny now walked on either side of her, just in case a reckless student came bounding down one of the hallways and bumped into her. 

Sunny smiled wide, "Glory and Starflight and I did our best to make this place comfortable for everyone who came." 

"Is Glory around this week?" Peril asked.

Sunny was about to answer when, indeed, a MudWing student came recklessly bounding down the hallway that led from the lunch cave. There was guilt and panic in her eyes, and she was clearly trying to hide in her wings. She came skidding to a stop right in front of Sunny. 

"Professor Sunny?" She began nervously. "There's a mess in the food storage room, and I thought you should know about it." 

Sunny gave an apologetic look to Peril before turning her gaze to the dragonet. "Is this a mess you caused?" She asked, in that gentle but stern way that Sunny had mastered. 

" _ No _ !" The MudWing replied. However, she quickly took it back. "Well, I wasn't the only one who caused it…" 

Tsunami remembered this student, and recognized her from this year's Amber Winglet. Her name was Lark, and she was a bit of a compulsive liar. If Tsunami remembered correctly from her conversations with Sunny, she came from a clutch of nasty siblings who got her in trouble often. She was getting better about the lying since attending the school, though. 

Sunny sighed, "Thank you for telling the truth. I'll come with you, and we can fix it, okay?" She turned back to Tsunami and Peril. "You guys can go on without me, but it was so nice seeing you, Peril!" 

As Sunny followed the student back down to the lunch cave, Tsunami and Peril exchanged a glance. It was quiet for a moment, and it almost seemed like maybe Peril had something she wanted to say. Whatever it was, it didn't come out, and Tsunami wasn't exactly the patient type, unfortunately. 

But there was that feeling in Tsunami's belly. The one that told her to spring forward and run away at the same time. It had been nearly  _ two  _ years, so...did Tsunami really still feel everything she felt after all this time. 

But she couldn't just run off and leave Peril to her devices, could she? It seemed like she would be careful, but other dragons might not be.

"Is there somewhere I could get some water?" Peril asked eventually, yanking Tsunami out of her thought spiral.

_ Water.  _ Well, the underground lake had a little too much vegetation surrounding it, so that wouldn't do. Plus, Peril could probably cause it to boil. "Let's...go to the river," Tsunami suggested. It was nice and quiet. No grass that the SkyWing could burn by accident. Lots of open sky, in case of an attack, but private enough to be comfortable with someone you like. "I think you'll like it." 

Peril gave a nod, and the SeaWing led the way. It was a short walk, but a complicated one. Lots of twists and short leaps and cramped tunnels that forced the pair to go one at a time, until their heads poked out onto an open outcropping. The babble of soft water running over the cool stone greeted them, along with shade from the evening sun that was setting behind them. Below, a wooded valley marked the edges of where the mountain faded to the Sky Kingdom. Birds sung from the trees below, that shifted with the breeze. 

When Tsunami turned, Peril's mouth was agape in subtle wonder. "Forget everything I said about the school, this is blazing!" 

Tsunami smiled, and walked to the small oil lamp that she kept by the edge, on a stone jut. "It's just a little place I found." She tipped the lamp, examining the levels within. It wasn't quite dark enough to turn it on yet, but there was plenty of oil, in case they needed it. 

Behind her, Peril laid beside the water, tucking her tail and wings in close. "It's beautiful!" Every so often, a drop would land on her, making a sizzling noise as it evaporated.

It  _ was _ pretty beautiful, wasn't it. Grabbing the lamp and placing it between them, Tsunami let out a sigh as she laid down too. She realized now how much she needed a break from staring at scrolls and mailing acceptance letters. The two were silent for a few moments, watching the dragonflies that buzzed by the stream. Peril laughed as one landed on Tsunami's nose, and the SeaWing flinched when it began flying again.

"So what're you doing here? I mean, the Bay is pretty nice this time of year," Peril mused, "I guess I would've expected you to be out in the sea with your mother."

That question was difficult to answer. Tsunami nodded her head noncommittally, deciding on what to say. "Well, I'm always here, really. I'll take a week off here and there to see my mom, but...the Sea Kingdom has this celebration every summer; it's a festival that celebrates my arrival and the memory of King Gill." Tsunami sighed. She knew her secret was safe with Peril. After all, she had been there when Tsunami was forced to kill her father as an arena stunt. "Every year I get so afraid that my mom's gonna find out what happened to him. She's not really the forgiving type." She said with a snort. 

Peril nodded. There was a look on her face like maybe she kind of understood what that was like. 

Tsunami spoke up quickly, wanting to move away from that topic. " _ So,  _ every summer I teach at the Jade Mountain. I'm here most of the year anyway, but..."

"What do you teach?" Peril asked genuinely, crossing her talons. 

Tsunami yawned. "Battle, mostly. I do an art class...Oh, and I teach Aquatic to the LandWing youngsters who wanna know when their SeaWing friends are talking about them in secret," she said with a laugh. 

" _ LandWing _ ," Peril repeated in interest. "So that's what you call us? I guess that's kinda clever," 

"Oh, please," Tsunami replied with a snicker. "That's not even the worst of it." Peril laughed, her mouth curled, showing her pointy white teeth. When that laugh faded, Tsunami realized she had been watching. "Uh, but what about you? What have you been doing?"

Peril traced her claws along each other, picking at a dull spot on her left talon. "Nothing exciting, but I'm a messenger now! I carry top secret info that no one even writes down because it's so need-to-know." Her face lit up a little as she continued. "Obviously I wouldn't be able to transport scrolls or letters anyway...Queen Thorn tells me I'm her favorite carrier." 

"What do you mean, ' _ not exciting'? _ " Tsunami flinched away the urge to nudge the dragoness supportively. "That's an awesome job! They're lucky to have you."

Peril averted her blue gaze bashfully. "Thank you…" she said, rubbing her neck with a paw. "I just transferred this really weird one last week, actually. It was an Aquatic message, so I don't know what it meant, but whatever it was really made the guy upset." 

Tsunami's eyes glimmered in interest, "Oh moons, you  _ gotta _ tell me."

Peril's face scrunched, as if she were sure she was probably saying something seriously offensive. "So, her fore-arms blinked twice, and the end of her tail blinked once, and then the spots under her eyes lit up in succession  _ super  _ bright. The lights on her belly did the same thing too." 

Tsunami's head turned away as she put the pieces together, a smile on her face. As it made sense in her mind, she let out a hearty laugh. "She said 'Nice work. Buzz off  _ forever, _ whalehead'!"

Peril looked torn between hilarity and sorrow, "Oh, no! Was that a breakup?" She hollered, holding a talon to her face. 

"Definitely something like that," Tsunami said as her laughter slowed. She wondered if it was a couple she knew. There was this one pair of SeaWings in the palace who were constantly on and off, and Tsunami was waiting for it to blow up on them, especially since she found it so annoying.

"At least 'Peril the Homewrecker' isn't the worst thing they could call me…" Peril rolled her eyes, still visibly uncomfortable that she had been the middleman in such an exchange. 

"You can't help couples like that. Always arguing with each other, it's ridiculous." Tsunami said, trying to be comforting. "If you don't like somebody, you tell 'em yourself." 

Peril blinked, seemingly taking note of this, but it wasn't known what for. Tsunami didn't take Peril as someone with a lot of relationship experience. In fact, as far as anyone knew, Peril was a little frightened by the concept of getting too close. _ Unless...  _ she thought. Well, unless Peril had met someone after all this time. Tsunami wished that thought didn't irk her in the way that it did. 

What did she care, really?

With a stretch of her wings, Tsunami continued. "It reminds me of this thing Glory said to me. Her NightWings aren't always the most honest y'know…" 

"Hah," Peril turned her eyes to the horizon as she recalled. "Oh, I know. They're totally bat-brained at the village, if you ask me. Oh,,  _ is  _ Glory here this week?" The SkyWing looked at Tsunami with a serious curiosity.

"She'll be here tomorrow, actually!" Tsunami said. 

Peril held her talons together, looking almost relieved. "Okay, good. I mean, I'm sure you're excited to see her," 

_ Not as excited as I am to see you, I guess _ , Tsunami thought as she traced her claws along the stone. "Yeah, for sure!" She replied, reviewing their course schedule in her head. "Tomorrow we're doing a battle class together, and the next day is an art session. We'll be right along the mountain, so you can probably watch if you want. You know, if you'll be here, I mean..." Great, that sounded desperate.

"Oh, really?" Peril said, ears perking. Gingerly, she slid her claws toward Tsunami, not getting close enough to touch. "I think I would like to."

Tsunami's ears warmed, but she didn't flinch away. Her talons remained by her chest, close enough to Peril's to feel the subtle heat that radiated off of them. "Oh, and Starflight and Clay are coming back tomorrow too! They'll love seeing you." 

Peril smiled. "I can't wait...Is it really okay if I stay? I kind of have a few days before my next assignment." 

"Yeah," Tsunami said, before realizing she probably should've checked in with Sunny first. "Well, I don't see any harm in it, anyway-" 

Wait, but didn't she? Why did Tsunami always let her mouth get ahead of her. She had to have some problem with Peril being here, right? However, with all the trying she did to find it, she couldn't muster the effort it took to think of why Peril should leave. The truth was, she didn't want Peril to leave. 

"I'm glad," Peril said, and a yawn pulled her jaws open wide. She let her enormous wings droop. "Can you tell me what Glory said about the NightWings? It sounded pretty serious," she laughed tiredly. 

Tsunami felt that push/pull again. That instinct to put her wing over Peril's shoulder and let her rest her head against Tsunami's side. Completely unrealistic, but it was there. She let it sit and simmer in her mind, like hot bubbling water, and began to tell the story. 

According to Glory, old habits were dying hard. The NightWings were still just as privy to lying their way out of trouble, and ignoring the rules in place because they're  _ too important for such things _ . But, of course, Glory was just as privy to calling them out for it. As of late, they've been inserting themselves into RainWing culture a little though, and they seem to be enjoying themselves at the dance parties and such. 

Glory had her work cut out for her, inducing peace between a kind tribe and another tribe which had planned invasion and genocide on the other. Tsunami wasn't sure how she could possibly make it work, but Glory was pretty convincing - and definitely enough of a hardass to make it work.

Apparently Peril had some run-ins with overzealous NightWings as well. One was interested in hiring her on as a personal bodyguard, and another was desperate to study her in a close environment. But truly no pay could entice Peril into an environment of indentured service. Not any more. Her job as an untouchable mail dragon was enough for her.

Tsunami thought that was pretty sweet, and admired Peril's constitution. However, "I'm glad" was all she could really say.

Tsunami began rattling off other hilarious tales as the night continued, the oil lamp set between them shedding a warm glow on their scales. Between the SeaWing's chatter, the crickets that chirped in the grass below, and the subtle flow of water, Peril found it relaxing enough to doze off at Tsunami's side. 

Now, Tsunami could truly see how at peace Peril seemed to be. She could only imagine it took a lot of work over the past few years to get to this point. She couldn't be sure if it still afflicted the SkyWing, but if Tsunami remembered correctly, Peril was prone to nightmares. Who wasn't, after everything? But still, she didn't feel right to leave Peril by herself. Especially out in the open, where anything and anyone could take advantage. 

It was decided. Tsunami would stay here with her.  _ Not a big deal,  _ she thought, taking off her glasses. She shuffled to lay on her side, turning her back to Peril and unfolding her wings in front of her.

The sound caused Peril to stir. "I fell asleep," she mumbled. 

"It's okay." Tsunami said, closing her eyes. "But now you gotta shush because I just got comfortable."

Peril let out a humorous  _ hmph.  _ She was quiet for a bit, letting the air be filled by gentle ambient sound. "I missed you," she said quietly.

"I missed you, too." Tsunami replied, drifting into sleep.


	3. Chapter 2

The next morning, it was Peril who had woken first, but only shortly before Tsunami. The SkyWing was still blinking the sleep from her eyes when Tsunami brought her fore-arms out in front of her for a big stretch. Her spine let out a little crack, and she realized that perhaps sleeping out on a crag wasn't the best for her back. It didn't seem like Peril was bothered by it though, as she stretched out her wings and was careful not to touch Tsunami with them. 

"What time is it?" Tsunami asked quietly. The sun wasn't far above the horizon, but it wasn't like either of them were carrying a watch. 

Peril looked up at the sky, "Umm, seven-ish?"

"Sinking spires, I'm gonna be late for class!" Tsunami shouted, her frills bristling. She splashed river water on her face to wash away the sleep, and hurried back down the tunnel that led to the school. After a moment, she realized that Peril wasn't following. "You coming?" 

"I'll catch up, I'm gonna catch something to eat." Peril replied, yawning. Tsunami decided that the dragoness likely wanted to stay away from the prey center, especially at this time of morning when it would be bustling with activity. 

It took her a few minutes to rush back through the stone caverns, bumping into a few bright-eyed students on the way. Some of them said quick good mornings and hellos, but she didn't have time to give more than a quick nod back. Fatespeaker would be ringing the morning class gongs any moment now!

She slid past the founder's dining room, where the tables were still covered in those letters from yesterday. With a hiss, she realized she didn't have time to clean that up either. 

"Starflight's gonna have a good time with that when he gets back," a cool voice observed from behind her. 

Tsunami turned to see Glory, a smile on her face and flower jewelry donning her neck. "YOU. We're gonna be late for class!" Tsunami shouted, but as Glory rolled her eyes, she couldn't help but grin. 

They met with a quick hug, wrapping their wings around each other before separating. She knew Glory wasn't much of a hugger, but the RainWing just had to deal with it sometimes. Tsunami _did_ miss her. 

"We're not that far behind, y'know." Glory said, as they were flying down from the prey center. However, with a glance downwards, both dragons realized that the students had already gathered on the grass below. 

"They must be excited to meet you, huh?" Tsunami asked. But she didn't wait for an answer, curling her wing to fly low and land with a thud. Glory landed beside her quietly, arching her neck and sitting as she did in her throne room-treehouse-shack-thing that she addressed her tribe from. 

The students gasped in awe, especially the RainWing students who clearly wanted to play up their queen as much as possible. Tsunami looked at Glory and herself. The RainWing was sarcastic, regal, and aloof. The SeaWing was more energetic and rough around the edges. Tsunami wondered if it was hard to imagine they had grown up together, or even that they were friends. 

"Good morning, class." Tsunami bowed her head, and opened her wing towards Glory. "As I'm sure you know, this is Queen Glory of the RainWings. She will be assisting me in class today." 

The RainWing students grew deep purple with pride in their queen, their short wings flaring behind them. The rest of their scales blended in with the grass and rocks below them, making it look as though the ground was sick with some kind of splotchy indigo spotting. 

Tsunami leaned closer to Glory, facing the shady cliff face that led up the mountain. The third ringing _gong_ echoed out from Jade Mountain high above. "They're a couple of suckers, aren't they?" 

Glory smacked her gently with her tail, whispering back. "Don't speak ill of my subjects! They adore me, what can I say?" After a moment, her eyes glinted with excitement. "Sunny told me about our visitor-"

And that was all Tsunami was going to let Glory say about that. She placed her reading glasses onto the nearby rock. "So, students, tell me how you defeat an enemy that you cannot see." Tsunami said, watching as Glory looked up in exasperation, and used her camouflage scales and faded into invisibility. 

"Hide?" Suggested one visibly frightened MudWing.

"Sniff them out?" A NightWing offered. 

"Very good suggestions, but more often than not, your invisible target will attack you first…" Tsunami paused, having expected that Glory would've pounced by now. "So it's all a matter of wai-" 

She was cut off as a shimmer in the air seized her powerful tail. The SeaWing was pulled into the air for a short flight, and she attempted to grapple with Glory by batting at her with her wings. Glory dropped her to the ground, Tsunami landing on her back with a thud. 

"I thought you were supposed to show them how to fight me, not flop like a fish." Glory joked, becoming visible and leaning her head over Tsunami's. 

"Very funny…" she replied. She reached up, hooking her strong arms around Glorys neck and flipping her over. The RainWing scrambled on the ground for a moment, before Tsunami jumped to pin her wings and shoulders. Glory wriggled under Tsunami's weight, and changed her colors forcefully in an attempt to distract her. "Nice try, but it won't work on me," Tsunami growled. 

A gasp came from the students as Glory jabbed the end of her blunt tail into Tsunami's back. She let out a yipe of surprise and reared up, releasing Glory. 

"Hey, that's cheating!" said a SandWing dragonet. "That's a SandWing move!"

"It's not cheating! It's just smart," Glory replied, taking offense. She sat down gracefully as she waited for Tsunami to continue her lecture. 

"She's right, Rattle," Tsunami said, shaking the shudders from her spine. She could never understand why that trick worked so well, but it did. "Plus, your opponent won't always fight _fair._ " She turned to see that Glory had once again disappeared. With a smile, she surveyed the area and did her best to detect the Rainwing's presence. "It's about using your strengths and understanding hers." 

A few deafeningly silent moments passed. She could tell that the students themselves were also straining their senses to figure out where Glory would strike from next. Then, Tsunami had an idea. She spread her wings, and flashed her lights as bright as she could make them, revealing a suspiciously RainWing-shaped shadow on the ground beside her. Glory clearly didn't realize her position had been revealed until it was too late.

With a strike, Tsunami grabbed Glory's snout and forced her to the ground. Her eyes looked wild and vicious. "Now when you fight a RainWing, the first thing you wanna do is get a handle of their snout, because otherwise-" Tsunami let go of Glory, who lifted her head and bared her deadly fangs with a hiss. "You're dead."

The pair stepped away from each other as Tsunami continued. "You see, RainWings have the most deadly venom of any creature in Pyrrhia." 

"That we've studied!" A voice corrected from nearby, as he and a party of other dragons landed in the clearing. It was Starflight, and he, Clay, and the other students, had returned from their field trip.

"Starflight! Clay!" Tsunami and Glory said at once. The four tumbled into each other like excited dragonets. Well, excluding Glory, who stood nearby with pink happiness flitting through her scales. 

"Be careful!" Clay cried out, looking under his talons. "I could've crushed a student!" 

Starflight took a deep sniff as he pulled away, and smiled. "Glory's here too?" 

"We were just teaching a battle class together. I thought it would be good to teach them how to fight invisible enemies." Tsunami replied. 

Clay looked at the clearing and the dragonesses. From the trampled grass to the bruises forming on their bodies, the MudWing decided, "From the looks of it, I'd say neither of you won." 

The Dragonets of Destiny, all together again, laughed and rolled their eyes. They only needed to swoop Sunny up next, and the family would be all together. However, their moment of childish giggling and shoulder punching was interrupted as two shapes came winging down from the mountain. Peril and Sunny were on their way to meet them.

Tsunami turned to her students. "Go ahead and practice what you saw, and we'll check on you in a minute." With this, the students paired off happily, practicing their pouncing, and landing with heavy thuds. "Carefully!" she added. 

When she turned back to her friends, Sunny and Peril had landed on a nearby gravel slope. Sunny bounded forward to wrap her arms around Starflight and Clay, while Tsunami and Glory held back. 

Peril was watching her feet intently, careful to avoid the perfectly green grass ahead. However, her eyes lit up as Clay came closer, crossing onto the gravel and lifting her up in a huge hug. They laughed, and when Peril's talons were on the ground again, they began to speak. Tsunami couldn't hear what they were saying, but Peril looked very happy. 

"So you two spent all night together?" Glory asked teasingly on Tsunami's right, startling her out of her thoughts. 

Tsunami snorted. "You say that like something happened. But to answer your question, yes. We did." 

Glory nodded unassumingly. "What'd you guys talk about?" The RainWing was clearly trying to probe for more details, but what did she care? 

"You. We made fun of you all night." Tsunami replied jokingly, closing her eyes innocently. 

"HAH," Glory laughed, and the pair stood up together, walking towards the others.

"That's healed up well," Peril said, looking at the deep scars on Clay's thigh. That viper bite during the night at the SandWing stronghold was one of the scariest moments of Tsunami's life. She really thought she would lose Clay, but luckily Peril had been there to save him.

"Yeah," Clay replied cheerily, glancing at his leg. "Doesn't _really_ hurt anymore, it's just a scar now." 

"We've all got some of those," Peril nodded, brushing his wing with hers. 

"Except you," Clay poked her side with his talon, and smiled. Peril however, looked a little crestfallen, though clearly she tried not to show it. Tsunami was pretty sure she understood why.

_Oh, Clay,_ she thought. _There's more than one kind of scar, y'know._

"AUNT PERIL!" a young voice called, which Tsunami knew very well. Prince Cliff pushed his way through the wave of students that had returned from the field trip, and flew around Peril excitedly. "What are you doing here?" 

Peril looked dizzied as she tried to follow the SkyWing dragonet with her eyes. "I'm just visiting!" 

Cliff brought his spinning to a halt and landed in front of Peril. Tsunami watched the way his wings twitched, knowing how badly the dragonet probably wanted to give Peril a huge hug. "It's so nice to see you!" He said, bouncing on his talons.

Memories of Cliff came over Tsunami's thoughts. He was a recently admitted student at Jade Mountain, only 3 and a half years old - but Tsunami had met him once before. After Peril was allowed back into the SkyWing kingdom again, she became very close with Queen Ruby and her son, Cliff. Peril had introduced Tsunami to the prince a few years ago, and Tsunami had the opportunity to give him a few swimming lessons and listen to some of his original songs. 

The young dragon was pretty talented, Tsunami thought. She couldn't wait to see how he changed the world as a "touring superstar", as he'd explained to her before. 

Tsunami cleared her throat. "How was the field trip, Clay?" 

Clay's ears wiggled happily. "Pheasant and Reed gave the students a tour of the old villages and outposts. Marsh cooked for us, and taught some MudWing recipes. The dragonets had fun...I hope they learned a lot, too." 

Starflight's ears raised. "Clay, the recipe for that stew is still in my bag, right?" 

Tsunami chuckled, and Peril watched curiously as Clay rustled though the travel bag on the NightWing's back. With careful brown talons, small scrolls and first aid supplies were shifted aside to reveal a parchment with a stain on it. 

"Here it is," Clay said, folding it neatly and placing it back inside the bag. "Safe and sound. We can cook it together sometime, okay?" 

Starflight nodded with a smile, tapping the wraps around his head. "And Peril, we're happy to have you, too." 

The others agreed, and Peril smiled bashfully, the fire under her scales glowing a little more. Glory and Tsunami wrapped up their class a few minutes later, noticing the young dragons had tired themselves out. 

Starflight was careful to step around Peril as he prepared for flight, holding a wing out so he could be guided back to the school. Tsunami obliged, and the dragons and dragonets flew back up the mountain.


End file.
